


whispering souls

by hanjingyi (notbadbrat)



Series: writober2018 [5]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: (kinda), Alternative Universe - Edo Period, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Japanese History - Freeform, M/M, Smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 11:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16853335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notbadbrat/pseuds/hanjingyi
Summary: A couple of days later, Eren was waiting in the patio, sitting on his knees, a warm cup of herbal tea in his hands. He was trying to calm his giddiness and his heartrate at the thought of Levi’s reaction when he’d find out what his duty from then on would be.





	whispering souls

**Author's Note:**

> AU (blue list) for #5 Writober 2018

The Ryoushi residence was in the core of the town. It was made of a series of small buildings dancing around the main body, where the daimyo and his family lived. Beautiful gardens and ponds adorned the spaces between the many houses, inhabited by those who worked for the Ryoushi and the samurais who were entrusted with the family’s safety.

There were armed guards on the borders of the residence and others discretely surveilling the inside, but each relative of the daimyo had also a personal one. After the last assassination attempt on Grisha Ryoushi and his son, the former had increased the security level of the household as much as he could, inquiring every single worker and warrior.

He reunited four of the best and most trusted samurais of his and assigned them to his wife Carla, his daughter Isabel and his son Eren, leaving one for himself.

Eren had, of course, protested vividly at the news. He knew swordsmanship, learnt it when he was very young by the very same samurai family his father was currently allied with, so what use was it that he had to be protected instead of helping in keeping his family safe?

His thoughts had changed when Grisha had granted him the choice in his own guard -Eren had even become strangely silent to that prospect. Soon after having discovered who the four chosen by his father were, he had hurriedly given his consent, provided that his guard would be his old training companion.

And that had been it.

A couple of days later, Eren was waiting in the patio, sitting on his knees, a warm cup of herbal tea in his hands. He was trying to calm his giddiness and his heartrate at the thought of Levi’s reaction when he’d find out what his duty from then on would be.

Would he be angry? Annoyed? They used to train together, but since Levi was much more skilled and experienced -and a bit older- than him, he started working in their household at eighteen, while Eren remained stuck with his tutor for many years more. But they always stayed in each other’s company -more than anyone could ever see or guess, he hoped.

Levi was sent as one of the representatives of his family to a trip to a close daimyo, and had been gone for almost a month. There wasn’t much to do there beside learning the art of tea, poetry, sword and getting bored to death. He missed going out in the village in disguise and taking walks inside the residence and making tea with Levi watching his every move. He found it annoying, but now that he hadn’t seen the samurai for weeks, he preferred that to his absence.

“You space out too much, my lord.”

Breath quickening slightly for the surprise, he waited for the figure behind him to sit next to him on the cushion and take his cup of tea before glancing to his left and taking in every inch of him. He looked good, but tired, bangs under his eyes thicker than usual, the corners of his mouth a little curved down.

He bit his lip and gripped his cup harder.

“I was just lost in thought.”

“I hope you are not plotting anything bad.”

“But it’s okay if I’m plotting something more generic?”

Levi turned and regarded him in that calm, contemplative way of his, as if he was really listening and taking his words into consideration.

“I guess it means I will have to follow you whatever you intend to do, my lord.”

Eren smiled a bit. He had known of Levi’s arrival that morning, news of the convoy sent to the near daimyo coming home spreading quickly and giving him time to prepare the samurai his favorite tea by the time he reached the residence. It didn’t come as a surprise that he already knew what his father’s new dispositions were.

“I get it you heard about your new assignment?”

Levi cackled lightly, and Eren’s heart replied beating in sync to that simple melody.

“I get that it is your doing?”

“My father let me choose” he just said, shrugging his shoulders and averting his eyes, suddenly feeling coy. “I chose you.”

Silence fell around them, the wind threading through the leaves and the delicate splashing sound of the little fishes in the pond were the only sound filling the air, except for their breathing.

Eren knew Levi wasn’t a man of many words, but right then, the absence of an answer -even thought he had posed no question to him- made his heart waver and his insecurities create a knot in his throat.

“If-” he started, fingers drumming lightly on the side of the cup before putting it down and leaning his palms on his tights. “If that’s a problem, I can take it back. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. You already do so much for me, I-”

Two hands cupped his face and raised his chin upward, letting turquoise eyes meet with blue-gray ones. Levi’s expression was amused and gentle at the same time, his usual frown momentarily vanished, making him look more relaxed than when he had sat down next to him minutes earlier.

“There is no need, my lord. If I can be honest, nothing is really going to change. Now, my job will be easier and official. That is all” he concluded, thumb brushing his cheekbone and the reddening zone of his cheeks. He didn’t need to glance around them, knowing that Levi had probably already taken the precautions required before joining him.

“Is it really okay, though? You know I can defend myself if needed, I don’t want to be a  _job_  for you. I just took this as a chance to gain a bit more of your time.”

“Then don’t put yourself in danger” he mumbled, gazing deeply into Eren’s eyes, while his hardened and became serious, “and leave the rest to me. I don’t want to be far should anything bad happen again.”

The boy nodded silently, memories of that night emerging and clouding his mood. He had been vigil and ready to fight, but so anxious and worried for his family and the rest of the residence inhabitants. Black figures had entered the main building and almost managed to overwhelm and kill them on the spot, had the samurais not found out and took action rapidly. Levi had held him so tenderly that night, both whispering sweet nothings to the other’s ear and trembling at the thought of death tearing them apart.

Eren circled the samurai’s neck with his arms, bringing him a bit closer.

“I’ll protect you, too. We’ll have each other’s backs” he decided, smiling to try and dispel the bad vibes the recollection of that event evoked. His nose brushed against Levi’s, which made the raven-haired male smile, too. The boy giggled, sighing happily.

They met in the middle, lips touching and breaths mingling, and they stayed like that for a bit, to remember how the other felt in their arms, to be reminded of the delicious pressure of their mouths and hands and bodies and to etch every little detail to memory.

Eren drew back, eyes and lips slightly parted.

“Welcome home.”


End file.
